consecration

American  

[kon-si-krey-shuhn] / ˌkɒn sɪˈkreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of consecrating; dedication to the service and worship of a deity.

2. the act of giving the sacramental character to the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.

3. ordination to a sacred office, especially to the episcopate.

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Consecration British  

/ ˌkɒnsɪˈkreɪʃən /

noun

1. RC Church the part of the Mass after the sermon during which the bread and wine are believed to change into the Body and Blood of Christ

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Other Word Forms

• deconsecration noun
• nonconsecration noun
• preconsecration noun
• reconsecration noun
• unconsecration noun

Etymology

Origin of consecration

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English consecracio(u)n, from Anglo-French, from Latin consecrātiōn-, stem of consecrātiō; equivalent to consecrate + -ion

Example Sentences

Ram has a wide following in India; excitement around the temple’s consecration had been building for weeks, with saffron-colored pennants strung across a million streets and markets, and posters of Ram advertising the event everywhere.

From New York Times • Jan. 22, 2024

Modi will be in attendance, alongside several Hindu priests, for the consecration ceremony in which a statue of Ram is to be placed in the temple’s inner sanctum.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 16, 2024

The War Requiem was commissioned to mark the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral in 1962, after the original 14th Century building was destroyed in a World War Two bombing raid.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2023

Unlike earlier consecration oils, no ambergris — a product of whale intestine — was used, making the oil “vegan-friendly” according to media reports.

From Washington Times • Apr. 30, 2023

I imagined the plain wooden crucifix above the altar swinging back and forth as Father Amadi raised the host at consecration.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie